The Digital Grandmother project, led by Dr. Sema Gül, academic adviser to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Ondokuz Mayıs University’s (OMU) Developmental Education Application and Research Center, provides parents with expert support for baby care and developmental monitoring.
Prof. Dr. Canan Seren, a faculty member at OMU Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics, contributed her clinical experience to the project, while Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammer Türkoğlu, head of the Software Science Department at Samsun University, contributed to the development of its software systems. Samsun Teknopark General Manager Levent Tanrıverdi and the Teknopark administration led by OMU Rector Prof. Dr. Fatma Aydın also supported efforts to bring the project together with public institutions and families.
Experts can be reached through the app
Parents can download the mobile app to their phones or computers and create a subscription. They can send their questions about their babies to the Digital Grandmother team by writing them out or uploading videos and photos.
The team answers questions through the app and can also hold audio or video calls when requested. Families receive guidance on issues such as skin problems, sleep routines, feeding, diaper-changing frequency and sleeping positions.
Dr. Sema Gül said they had been working on baby analysis for approximately seven years and that, with the transition to nuclear family structures, new parents had been receiving less support from older family members while raising their babies. Gül said the platform was developed to address this need.
Answers are prepared with expert input
Gül emphasized that, unlike artificial intelligence applications, the platform provides answers based on expert opinions. She said that when parents ask about their babies’ fever or another health problem, the platform provides guidance that can also include steps for seeking medical attention when necessary.
Free access to be provided in Kavak
The platform’s first local implementation was carried out in Samsun’s Kavak district. Under a protocol signed with Kavak Municipality, babies aged 0 to 24 months in the district are planned to receive free access to the platform and be monitored for 24 months.
Digital Grandmother can be used online from anywhere. The platform is available for a set fee, while efforts are also under way to provide access to families who cannot afford the service. Institutions will be able to enable individuals they wish to support to use the platform.
Samsun Teknopark General Manager Levent Tanrıverdi said the cooperation with Kavak Municipality was making knowledge produced at the university available to local users through public institutions.
